Issues

The voucher program, shoved through the legislature and signed by Governor Ducey, over the objections of Arizona voters, has created unmanageable costs overruns that will total $900 million by the end of 2024.  My preference is to kill the program and start over going back to its original intent.  However, that is unlikely given Republican control of the state legislature.  I support Governor Hobbs’ plan to reign in the most egregious problems with the current voucher program.

For a more in-depth information on the ESA Vouchers impact on Arizona, read the Arizona Save our Schools report.

4/29/24 Update - additional information on ESA Vouchers with emphasis on comparisons to other states' voucher programs.  Learn more here.

6/30/24 Update - the legislative session ended with only minor changes to the ESA Voucher program.  Basically, it remains intact.  More info about the attempts to change the program and what go through at CapitolTimes.com.  Here is a link to a detailed story.

I enthusiastically support the Arizona Abortion Access Initiative which codifies access to abortion services into the Arizona Constitution.  One of our basic freedoms is allowing individuals to make healthcare decisions without government interference.  Learn more about the lies being told about the AAA.

However, that is not enough.  If Republicans still control the state legislature in 2025 and the AAA initiative passes, they will do everything in their power to undermine its implementation.  When elected I will work to codify the rights to unrestricted access to reproductive healthcare in Arizona including abortion services, IVF, and contraception through legislation.

Learn more about the 1864 abortion ban.

Update 4/24/24: Arizona State House voted to repeal the 1864 ban.  LD19 Representatives Gail Griffin and Lupe Diaz voted NO.

Update 5/1/24:  Arizona Senate voted to repeal the 1864 ban.  LD19 Senator David Gown voted NO and compared the repeal to 9/11 attack.

Election integrity is in the news all the time. I am angered that the election-denying Republicans have hijacked the term.  Let me be clear, we HAVE fair, accurate and secure elections right now!  Over 80% of Arizona voters vote by mail for almost 30 years. Until 2020, there was no real complaints.  In fact, voting by mail remains very popular.

I am for election integrity, but not the “make it harder and more inconvenient to register and vote” laws that the Republican legislature managed to get through from 2021 – until Governor Hobbs took office in January 2023.

I want eligible people to vote in federal, state and local elections.  We should make the process to get registered as reliable and easy as possible.  State and local elections should be on Saturdays and early in person voting should be during days, evenings, and weekends.

The voter suppression “ballot harvesting” Arizona law should be repealed.

Learn more about the pressure campaign for counties to do a 100% hand count of ballots.  (VoteBeat.org)

Arizona has a structural revenue and taxation policy issue:  the state legislature can pass tax reduction legislation by a simple majority and when signed by the governor, it goes into effect.  To raise taxes (most definitions of revenues are considered taxes for the purposes of the law), there must be two thirds yes vote in the legislature and then signed by the governor.

Even with a one vote majority in the state senate and state house, Republicans have been able to jam through special interest tax breaks and reductions in income tax rates that various Republican governors have signed.  Each year another tax break for special interests is proposed and passed which reduces revenues for the state budget.  Any proposed increase in revenues in usually killed in committees controlled by the Republican majority in the legislature and even if it got to the floor of either house of the legislature would never garner the 66% yes vote.

A small minority (in this case 33%) has more power than a large majority that may want to raise revenues for example, for public schools.

When I ran in 2018 & 2020 I indicated that I would not vote for any tax breaks if I am elected to the legislature.  That promise still stands

Learn more about this.

How in 2021 Governor Ducey gave a huge tax cut to the wealthy with the 2.5% flat tax.  Read about it here.

Budgets are a statement of our values.  What we consider to be spending priorities for the good of the people of Arizona.

The budget process in Arizona is broken with little transparency because almost all negotiations are done behind close doors between the state administration and the legislative majority.  Remember that majority has been in power for 46 years.  (See more about that here)  As of April 21, 2024 the state is facing a deficit over the next two fiscal years of about $1.8 billion.  Governor Hobbs has ordered state agencies to prepare to cut about $1 billion from their FY2025 & 2026 budgets.  Here are some budget facts:

There is a shortfall based on reduced revenues, not increased spending.

Because of a flat tax rate of 2.5% pushed through the Republican legislature in 2022, the budget already had lost $2 billion in tax revenue.  However, personal income taxes came in under the estimated amount and corporate & sales taxes have also not been as projected.

Comment:  Republican trickle-down-economics that these huge tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations would be offset by increased economic growth are not true as has been shown since the 1980s.

What is the biggest unexpected (projected) cost to the state budget?  The expanded ESA Voucher program which now is projected to cost about $1.5 billion for the next two fiscal years.

Comment: So far every estimate has been too low and Republicans don't allow any significant oversight of the program which has run rampant with abuse.

HOW DOES THIS IMPACT RURAL COUNTIES?

Governor Hobbs has ordered state agencies to come up with approximately $1 billion in budget cuts and begin a hiring freeze.  What is first on the list for cuts?  Roads.  So our southeast Arizona rural counties that are counting on funds for road repairs will most likely not be getting their fair share of gas tax revenues in the next two years.  Most road improvement projects will be "delayed" even if the federal government has provided some of the funding, because many of these projects require at least 10% matching funds from the state.

Cochise County, like several other rural counties in Arizona, faces an on-going groundwater crisis.  Solutions to the crisis based on new law and enforcement as well as historic private water rights is complex.  Even within communities such as the Willcox and Douglas basins in Cochise County, the community is not unified in what direction and solutions should be taken.

However, few people who live in the southeast portion of the county believe there isn’t definitive proof that the status quo cannot continue.  Private wells are going dry, and fissures and ground subsidence have been occurring starting back in 2017 to 2018.

There is significant economic hardship and environmental devastation in the region.  Many small farms and private property owners are asking for help from a state government that seems only minimally interested in helping.

Learn more about the history of the water crisis here

My actions on water If I am elected to the Arizona State Senate

It is critical to get accurate data on how much water is being pumped in the Douglas and Wilcox basins.  Without data it is not possible to create solutions that will work for local communities.

Give the ADWR the power to require any new well that pumps more than 35 gallons a minute (this is the allowed pumping rate for private residential wells that most residential property owners have, even on well shares) must record and report to the ADWR annually their water usage.

There are mechanisms for regulating groundwater pumping in INA & AMA areas.  However, enforcement is lacking allowing continued over pumping.

Strengthen enforcement for Irrigation Non-expansion Areas (INA) & Active Management Areas (AMA) by giving  Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) monitoring and enforcement powers.  Limit the depth of wells in large parcel farms regardless of ownership structure.

 See description of HB2857 for sample of legislation that I will support

Update 7/8/2024: Currently there are 11 propositions qualified for the November 2024 general election ballot. These are "ballot referrals" coming from the Arizona Republican controlled state legislature.

To learn more about them visit Ballot Watch, information provided by the Arizona Senate Democrats (which I hope to be a part of starting in 2025).

I will have a link to my position on each of the propositions starting around Labor Day.

Gun safety is not gun control.  It is a reasonable approach to taking steps to protect people from gun violence.  Included in these concepts are such ideas as "red flag" laws, closing the gun show loophole for background checks, waiting periods for gun purchases, and limiting large bullet magazine firearms.  I support all of these steps.

To learn more about gun safety in Arizona visit the Moms Demand  Action Arizona webpage or Facebook page.